This invention relates to novel latex compositions that can be used to bond fibrous substrates so as to impart to the substrate desirable properties such as wet and dry strength, soft handle, stain resistance, permanent crease and permanent press characteristics and the like depending on the character and proportions of the components present in the composition.
For example when a paper mat is made by a modern air-laid process, the component fibers are only loosely tangled together and have little natural cohesion. Before such mats can be processed into commercial items such as paper towels or facial tissues, they must be treated chemically and/or mechanically to give them greater strength required for such uses. The versatile nature of the chemical treatment route leads to it being preferred over a purely mechanical treatment since by selection of the treating composition, certain desirable properties such as softness or handle can be maintained, enhanced or created.
The present invention provides a composition for treating fibrous substrates, especially cellulosic substrates, that has particularly advantageous dispersibility and strength-enhancing properties and exhausts relatively easily onto a dry laid web in a uniform and efficient manner. The composition is also effective as a wet-end additive for the generation of wet and dry strength in a paper-making process as well as in a plurality of non fiber-related applications such as in coating compositions.